Mamaw's Place

11/19/19

The Climb

There is a song by Miley Cyrus called The Climb. The chorus has some profound words that are so true.

There's always gonna be another mountain
I'm always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be an uphill battle
Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose
Ain't about how fast I get there
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's the climb.

This song is kind of my theme song these past four years. I have fought a lot of battles, some big and some small, since I lost my husband. But I keep plugging through with God's strength, mercy and grace. Each time I keep my faith strong and my spirits up. And every mountain I climb and it to the other side has taught me life lessons. I have met new people as I climb up those mountains. Some touched my heart for a moment, made an impression then moved on. Some have touched my heart for a lifetime and won't leave me no matter what. I have forged new friendships, reached goals and achieved dreams I thought were impossible. So don't worry about the mountain you are climbing. Keep the faith and enjoy the journey to the top because you have no clue what is waiting on the other side.

11/18/19

A birthday wish

Happy birthday to one of the best daughter-in-law's a family could ask for. She is a wonderful wife to my son and mother to three of my grandchildren. she puts her family first in everything she does. I hope you have a wonderful birthday, Jamie. And may God continue to bless you with many, many more. Have a happy birthday we all love you.

11/17/19

Blessings

I have not blogged in about 6 weeks. I miss it. Life has just gotten in the way. A crashed computer being the worst of it. My battery holds a charge about 15 minutes and dies. Santa Baby, put a 'puter under my tree....for me.

But despite the difficulties of the computer and a series of events this past month or so, no matter what has been going on I have been so blessed and had a lot of time to thank God for everything He gives me and everything He does for me.

This song says it best...

10/8/19

Friday night lights of my childhood

I remember Friday's in fall up that old country road where I grew up. We'd come home from school and walk up the holler (yes, we called it a holler - not a hollow) anxious for our weekend to begin. We would hurry home and toss our books on our bed and head for the kitchen. Mom would be in there making supper so we could eat at 4:00 after Daddy got home.

It was a cool, crisp day. We would watch for Dad to walk up the road and hurry to meet him. Once he rounded the curve at Ruby's house, we were allowed to go into the road and walk and meet him. On Fridays there was always the thrill and excitement of who got to go to the local high school football game with him. Sometimes one of us would go and sometimes two of us. Nobody was allowed to go if we played Huntington High because there was always a threat of violence when we played them.

It was always a thrill to be picked as the one who went. I can remember many a fall evenings setting up on that very top bleacher, drinking hot chocolate and eating popcorn and hot dogs while we cheered our Barboursville Pirates to victory.

But it was also a thrill to be the one left at home as well. Barboursville was a small town nestled in the hills. Our "holler" was about a mile away and we would go out in the yard and hear the cheer of the crowds and the sounds of the band. We would stay outside until dark. If Jack and Andy were there, they would play their own football game, tackling and passing and enjoying romping around in the yard. If Rachel and I were there or if I was by myself, we would do our cheers.

Mom would soon call us in and we would take our baths and get ready for bed. As we would snuggle into the living room to watch TV, she would make homemade hot chocolate. She would mix Hershey's cocoa and sugar to a sauce like stage and add milk for the best hot chocolate in the world. Then she would top each steaming mug off with 2 or 3 big fluffy marshmallows. She would bring us that and Saps Glazed Donuts for our snack as we waited for Daddy to get home so we could hear who won the game. If you were lucky enough to go to the game, you were cold as could be by the time you walked over a mile back home after the game. But you didn't mind the long walk because you knew Mom would have you hot chocolate and donuts waiting when you got back.

Many years have passed since then. The old school was torn down, but the football field still remains. My brother still lives in the old home place and ball games are still played in that old yard. On cool, crisp Fridays, my mind still goes back up that old country road to those wonderful Friday nights. And if I sit quietly and listen real hard, I can still hear those fans cheering their Pirates to Victory.

10/4/19

Anakeesta

"Anakeesta is a Cherokee Indian word referring to high ground, literally meaning “the place of the balsams.” Today, the word is most often associated with a massive rock layer known as the Anakeesta Formation that encompasses many of the peaks in our part of the Smoky Mountains."

High above the town of Gatlinburg, TN in the Great Smoky Mountains you will find Anakeesta, a magical theme park. It is not your typical theme park. There is a zip line, a rail runner, shops, food and more beauty than you will ever imagine. Beautiful views of the Smokies. And gorgeous flowers. There are plenty places to sit and relax on porch swings and rocking chairs as you enjoy the beauty of the mountain ranges. It is so peaceful. I want to go there and just sit in a swing and read my book and enjoy the peace and quite found at the top.

A friend of mine had out of town company and they were planning a visit to Anakeesta. They called me to see if my granddaughter Shelby, who they had met before, wanted to join them. we did and it was amazing. The flowers were not only beautiful but the smell was so fragrant that we hated to walk away from them.

Situated along the walking trail were cute little gnomes and little gnome homes. The gnomes are wild looking since they are decorated for Halloween.

Everywhere you went you could see the breathtaking mountain views.

There were a lot of places for photo ops that were really cute.

But the funnest part of all was walking through the woods via rope bridges and tree houses. Each little tree house spot offered some type of obstacles or simply walk through. It was a blast.

I was a little cautious because rope bridges with little gaps between the "steps" made me a little nervous at first but then I fell in love with it. Shelby had no inhibitions whatsoever. She especially loved walking through what she called the rope room.

When our day ended, we boarded the lifts to take us back down into Gatlinburg. Just another opportunity to enjoy the view of the mountains. Since the descent faced west, we watched the sunset on the ride down. It was spectacular and a fitting end to a wonderful journey.

A special thanks to Aaron and Kelsie for taking us along on their adventure.

10/3/19

Some new things....

Last week I went to a new craft and antique store. Look what I found in my pattern. I love it. I paid $5.00! That's amazing for Pyrex.

Then I found my first piece of what they call turquoise. It was also $5. This solid color is one of the most collected colors so it was hard to find this.

Also, I have this little lamp that I get so tired of seeing so plain. Well, I have moved all the beach stuff from the "beach" craft room and put it in the bedroom and bathroom. That means I have a clean slate for the "spare room". I have decided the theme will be Unique. I want to put some steampunk but also some vintage items or unique items.

So I found this at a thrift store for $1.99. It doesn't get any more unique than a knight in shining armor. And coloring goes with a steampunk color pallet. So I put him in a place of honor and now I like the lamp again.

I have a tons of buttons so I want to try to do this heart in these metal buttons. I do have a lot of metal ones but not sure if I will have enough to do this.

My daughter sent me a picture of these trees from Walmart. I fell in love but also thought they would be fun to make. Especially since I already have Christmas fabric.

I am going to try to make some out of all this fabric pretty soon. Stay tuned.

Have a great Thursday.

10/2/19

Just a little update in my world...

I am so happy to see October. It normally means cooler temps, changes in the color of the leaves, leaves falling. But for us, October is starting out in the high 90's. We are not happy about that. But at least the days are beautiful. One direction from my house I see the sun rising in the east.

But when evening rolls around, I can go to the other side of the house and see a beautiful sunset. Truly blessed with my little peace of paradise.

I did a thing. I have been coloring my hair a light ash blonde for years now. But I decided to go out of my comfort zone and color it a light golden brown. This is a lot closer to my natural color. I am in love with it. I have been told I look 10 years younger so guess who is now going to stay this color forever. This was Sunday in Children's Church. I had this sweet girl in my Sunday School and Children's Church since she was a little over 1 year old. She is only 10 now and already as tall as me.

So on Tuesday, I put on a Halloween shirt. It's time for Halloween. I've been decorated for fall all through September.

So I simply incorporated my Halloween into the fall for a new look. I love my witches hat on the books.

One of my favorite signs. It's funny. I got that Christmas Mouse in Myrtle Beach, SC. They had a whole Halloween section in a Christmas store. Cracked me up.